This invention relates to a lamp wick equipment for a combustion apparatus such as an oil heater.
A combustion apparatus such as an oil heater generally uses kerosene as fuel. The kerosene is stored in the fuel tank of a combustion apparatus. The upper end of a cylindrical lamp wick projects upward from a chafing dish set in the upper part of the combustion apparatus. The lower end of the lamp wick is dipped in the kerosene held in the fuel tank. When the upper end of the lamp wick projecting into the chafing dish member is ignited, the kerosene is sucked upward through the lamp wick, and combusted at the upper end of the lamp wick. The kerosene used by the consumer is sometimes accompanied with the drawback that it is contaminated by foreign oil due to unsatisfactory administration during circulation or storage in a tank or denatured during long storage. When the kerosene is used which is contaminated by foreign matter or denatured, then impurities such as tarry substances are deposited on the lamp wick, giving rise to the insufficient combustion of kerosene or obstructing the vertical movement of the lamp wick or presenting difficulties in extinguishing the combusting kerosene.
To remove the substances deposited on the used lamp wick, it is sometimes attempted to ignite the lamp wick while the fuel tank is emptied. This attempt is made because almost all impurities settle on that portion of the lamp wick which is exposed to the interior of the chafing dish member, and indeed is very effective to take off the impurities deposited on the upper end of the lamp wick. But said attempt is not effective for the removal of impurities settling on the proximity of the lower end of that portion of the lamp wick which is exposed to the interior of the chafing dish member. The reason is that said proximity is not sufficiently heated to take off impurities.
Therefore, it is necessary to release a lamp wick soiled by impurities from a combustion apparatus and replace said lamp wick by a fresh one. However, the conventional combustion apparatus presents difficulties in the exchange of lamp wicks. Namely, it has been necessary to carry out said exchange by dismantling the parts surrounding the lamp wick for removal. Said exchange involves very troublesome work.